News

13 May 2018

ABA On Track To Drop LSAT Requirement: What Happens Now

This article was co-written with Dave Killoran and Mike Spivey of PowerScore [https://www.powerscore.com/] and Spivey Consulting, respectively. What Happened? On Friday, May 11, 2018, an ABA council approved a proposal that formally removes the requirement that the LSAT be used for admissions purposes [http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ABA_legal_education_council_rule_change_end_admission_test_requirement] at every ABA-approved law school. In its place is broader language that allows sch

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15 Jan 2018

Brief cycle update as of 1/15

This was from today's one-hour Spivey Consulting internal conference call where most of our admissions team shared observations from speaking with hundreds of applicants on a daily basis and admissions deans each week. Thought I'd share a bit of it and hope it helps! * Top schools are maybe seeing even bigger increases in apps, from what we're hearing * As a result, decisions are coming out much more slowly compared to past years, particularly at the top 7 or so schools * E.g. right no

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22 Dec 2017

About this super early December 2017 test score release...

Just a quick FYI, because as this is the earliest LSAC has released test scores in 9 years, there is a bit of mystery as to what it means. Surprisingly, it actually very likely means nothing is different for the vast majority of schools as far as timelines are concerned. Here's why. Most (or almost all maybe) admissions offices at law schools close after today and until Jan. 2nd. They high likely won't get YOUR December scores today when you get them (although some will try -- indeed my friend

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24 Aug 2017

Anne Dutia to join Spivey Consulting

for immediate release Long standing admissions professional Anne Dutia will be joining The Spivey Consulting Group (SCG), effective October 1, 2017. She has served on both the admissions committee at Michigan Law, and as a pre-law professional. Anne's full bio can be found at: https://www.spiveyconsulting.com/about/ Said partner Mike Spivey on the hiring, "I am happy we could make this happen; we have been pursuing Anne as a critical additional to our team for some time now. She brings divers

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26 Jul 2017

June 2017 LSAT takers are up — plus, new LSAT dates and Washington, D.C. forum attendance data

Some 2017/2018 early data and 2018/2019 new LSAT test dates. June 2017 LSAT takers are up by 19.8% or 4,555 takers for a total of 27,606 LSATs administered. This is the biggest increase in 8 years. Numbers are also up for attendance at the Washington, D.C. LSAC forum with a total of 853 attendants, up 23.4% from last year's forum. Additionally, the rate of attendance from registrants increased from last year -- a greater percentage that registered showed up. We also have the dates for the LSA

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20 May 2017

About that new LSAT Policy…

If you haven't heard, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) recently announced a change in their LSAT retake policy. Whereas prior to this change, law school applicants were limited to three LSAT administrations within a two-year period, applicants can now take an unlimited number of tests. Additionally, LSAT takers who have taken three or more LSATs in the last two years can now register for the September LSAT. This raises an important question: Should you take the LSAT 3+ times? The stand

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09 Feb 2017

Spivey Consulting in USNWR on a successful Harvard Law resume

Hi Mr. Spivey, I wanted to thank your for your review of my resume in yesterday’s U.S. News & World Report article on law school resumes [http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2017-02-02/a-law-school-resume-that-made-the-cut] . Surely, my success is due in-part to your willingness to support prospective applicants via your guidance on the Top Law Schools forums. I do not believe I would have applied to Harvard without the encouragement I felt from readin

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16 Nov 2016

Spivey Consulting To Co-Sponsor Scholarship Program Through Writing Competition

THE VIDEO GAME BAR ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES FIRST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ANNUAL WRITING COMPETITION OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS LOS ANGELES, November 14, 2016 – The Video Game Bar Association (“VGBA”) is pleased to announce its first scholarship program to encourage the pursuit of game and interactive entertainment law. The VGBA Student Writing Competition aims to encourage and reward student interest in the field of interactive entertainment law. Entries will be judged based on writing quality, timeliness o

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29 Jun 2016

Welcome to My World: Panel Discussion with Law School Admission Deans

Join us for this informative discussion featuring comments from highly experienced current and former law school admission deans who will reveal the human side of admissions, how and why some applicants "come alive" in the review process, and the inner dynamics of how law school admission decisions are made. Following panelists' remarks will be a Q&A segment during time webinar participants will be able to ask questions of the admission professionals. Panelists and bios: Mike Spivey is the fou

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14 May 2015

Karen Buttenbaum Interviewed by USNWR on the "gap year"

For the record we (and many law admissions officers we know) don’t necessarily agree with the terminology “gap” — which originated to describe the space between a year off before going to undergraduate. But semantics be damned, here [http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2015/05/14/smart-ways-to-make-the-most-of-gap-years-before-law-school] is the article. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Getting ready t

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